1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device which is capable of emitting, and thereby irradiating onto a subject, actinic radiation of different wavelengths. In particular, the invention relates to a device capable of emitting, and thereby irradiating onto a subject, actinic radiation of two different specified wavelengths having at least one physiological effect or even more than one physiological effect. In case of two, three or more physiological effects, these physiological effects may have a synergistic effect for the subject irradiated.
2. Discussion of Background Information
Devices for irradiating actinic radiation onto a subject, for example onto a human user intending to become exposed to such actinic radiation, are known. Such known devices, particularly those suitable to irradiate actinic radiation onto the whole body of a user, belong to groups which may either be divided according to the position the user has to take when being exposed to the radiation, or may be divided according to the type (or, largely, the wavelength or wavelength range) of the radiation which is irradiated onto the subject's, or user's, body.
Thus, what concerns the user's position when being irradiated, there may be distinguished devices for irradiating the subject's, or user's, body while the body is in a horizontal position, which devices, for obvious reasons, are often also called “beds”, or devices for irradiating the subject's, or user's, body while the body is in a vertical position, which position may be a sitting or standing position. Both groups of irradiation devices are included in the present invention.
What concerns the type of radiation irradiated onto the subject's, or user's, body, the known devices of the prior art are largely divided according to the wavelength, or wavelength range, of the actinic radiation irradiated onto the user's body.
Well known are devices for irradiating UV radiation, mainly UV radiation of the UV-A (320 to 400 nm) and UV-B (280 to 320 nm) range, onto a user's body. Such tanning devices, either in the form of tanning beds or in the form of vertically arranged tanning apparatus, are known, for example, from DE 10 2005 030 388 and EP 2 055 349, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein, and are also known from other patent applications.
Also known are lamps, and irradiation devices comprising such lamps, for stimulating the vitamin D production in the body of a user of such a device, by an irradiation of the user's body with light having a wavelength in the range of from 250 nm to 320 nm, with a peak at a wavelength of about 296 nm. An example documents relating to such lamps is WO 2008/027438, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
Recently, there were also disclosed devices for activating the collagen production in the skin of the user exposed to actinic radiation having a wavelength in the range of 610 to 650 nm, with a peak wavelength being at 620 nm. Examples of documents disclosing actinic radiation for an activation of the collagen production in the skin are DE 20 2009 004 449 U (to KBL Solarien AG) and D 20 2010 005 063 U (to Hapro International B.V.), the entire disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein.
In the above-mentioned documents to KBL and Hapro the actinic radiation emitted to the user's body and having the effect of activating the collagen production in the user's skin is accompanied by emitted UV radiation, in the former case by UV-A and UV-B radiation having a tanning activity, while in the latter case, the UV-A radiation portion is at a minor dose and the UV-B radiation portion is at most equivalent to 0.5 MED (minimum erythemal dose) so that a tanning effect is not achieved.
As described above, actinic radiation has certain physiological effects onto the body of a user, particularly a human subject. As is well known for irradiating UV radiation (either natural UV radiation impinging onto the ground of the earth as a result of the emission of the natural sun radiation or artificially generated UV radiation, mainly in the UV-A and UV-B range of wavelengths) onto the human body, a certain UV radiation dose may have beneficial physiological effects to the user's skin, but an overdose (i.e. a dose above a determined value (i.e. the MED or minimum erythemal dose value)) may harm the body. In acknowledging the risks of UV radiation doses exceeding the MED, the EU recently introduced a legislation restricting the emitted UV-B radiance of artificially generated actinic radiation in the UV wavelength range to a value of a so-called “erythemally effective” radiance Eer of 0.3 W/m2.
However, less severe restrictions apply to non-UV radiation. This results, at best, into observing the legally binding limits for UV radiation by manufacturers, operators and/or users, but does not restrict devices emitting actinic radiation in other wavelength ranges achieving physiological effects, when such radiation impinges onto the user's body/skin in a dose or for a time exceeding physiologically acceptable dose or radiance values. This is, particularly, a problem in a situation where a certain physiological effect can be obtained only by a certain minimum dose of actinic radiation due to the fact that the radiation has to reach a certain depth of the skin in order to become effective, and such effective depth is not achieved with low doses or weaker radiances of the irradiated radiation.
Hence, it would be advantageous to be able to provide a device for irradiating a body of a subject or a person or a user with actinic radiation of at least two different physiologically effective wavelengths, of which at least one is in the range of visible wavelengths.
In addition, it would be advantageous to be able to provide a device for irradiating a body of a subject or a person or a user with actinic radiation of at least two different physiologically effective wavelengths, which device is safe and does not deliver actinic radiation in a dose and range detrimental to the user's body.
In addition, it would be advantageous to be able to improve, and maintain already on the manufacturer's level without allowing the device to grant users the freedom to circumvent the measures required, the safety of devices emitting actinic radiation to the body of a user in wavelength ranges from the UV wavelength range to the range of longer wavelengths.
Surprisingly, some or all of the above advantages may be achieved by the device of the present invention, particularly due to the fact that the device of the invention comprises elements comprising at least one source of radiation, said source(s) of radiation emitting radiation of at least two different wavelengths having at least one physiological effect on the body of said subject/person/user of the device, of which radiation wavelength(s) at least one is in the visible range, said radiation of the at least two different wavelengths being directed to at least a part of the body of said subject/person/user.